Umm....so....yeah. The blog. I didn't really forget about it. It was always there, waiting, whispering my name every now and then saying "come back, come back."
And now I'm back.
Here's what happened. I was really, really busy. And not just with anything -- with my writing. Or maybe a better way to say it is that I was distracted. Very distracted.
There are a few things in my life that are very important to me. I've also found that I am the happiest when I've achieved a certain level of balance in each of these areas. Sometimes I feel like a juggler, trying to keep everything going smooth, flowing evenly, all at once so that it doesn't all crash down around me. Each ball is labeled with one of the following: family, writing and exercise. If I don't work out regularly, I explode. If I don't write, I implode. And if I don't keep an eye on what's going on with my family, well then they sort of do both - a wicked combination of imploding and exploding and it's just better all around if that doesn't happen.
Over the years, I've learned that the time and attention needs can vary for each of these. For example, there aren't any babies and/or toddlers running around (hooray! I love my kids but I am so glad to be done with babies and toddlers). In any event, the family needs are a lot less than they used to be. And, I even get to sleep. But I've also found that if I give too much to one category, that can be as bad as not enough. For example, I've learned that I can't train for long distance races. No marathons or half-marathons for me. Ever. Even a 10K is pushing it. Because I get too obsessed with something like that. I am happiest with a regular workout routine - just enough exercise to keep me sane and not feel guilty when I eat frites. Bingo. Balance.
And now my writing. I've been working on a certain manuscript for quite some time now. A long time. There were times when I put it down. For a long time. And then a few years ago I picked it up and decided it deserved to get finished. So I did. Then I rewrote it and finished it again. And then I started researching and writing the sequel. About 18 months ago I took the first book to a mystery writer's conference to pitch it. I walked in with my head held high, feeling as though I were on top of the world. (Cue the sound of angels singing from the heavens and picture me, bathed in a heavenly glow). I wrote a manuscript! I finished my book! I was halfway done with the sequel! And it was all good!
Or so I thought. (Cue the sound of brakes screeching to a halt.) They told me to rewrite it. So I did. And I finished it again. And this time it REALLY sucked. Sigh. But if I hadn't rewritten it, I never would have found the most awesome critique group I've ever had (which I almost didn't join because they were the ones that told me it REALLY sucked) so all in all, it was a wrong turn very worth taking. I reverted to the original version, and made it better. And then I finished the sequel, incorporating all of the new writing stuff I was learning from the aforementioned very awesome critique group.
And now here I am. Finished. Again. With not one, but two manuscripts! (Please don't cue the signing angels). Because now I know that someone else will probably tell me they suck and I'll have to go back again and rewrite them. Which I know I will do again and again - as many times as it takes - because that's how much this all means to me and that's how much I believe in my idea. And for heaven's sake, it only takes one person to like it. I just have to find that one person.
But in the midst of doing all the rewriting and finishing, I had to be incredibly careful with every second of my time. Because if I wasn't, the juggling balls would have all crashed around me and my mental health couldn't afford for that to happen. So my "writing" time was completely and totally occupied by my ghosts and gangsters. I just didn't have room in my brain for the blog. (As I'm sure you probably noticed that the quality of the posts was dwindling, even way back then.)
I can't promise that it won't happen again. I have a few new ideas that I'll play around with for new plots and characters, but none of it needs to occupy as much space in my brain as the others did. So for now I'm back to my blog and I hope you're happy to have me.
I'm gonna need it....because a sea change is a'coming.
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